Conversations about change take place every day. They can concern anything — from daily habits to major life decisions — and may happen with friends, family, or during a routine visit with a health professional. In these conversations, people often express mixed feelings about change. They may give reasons for and against changing, reflecting a … Read more

Summary: Researchers propose that some neuropsychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, may be unintended byproducts of recent human evolution. Source: Cell Press. Recent evolutionary changes that gave humans distinctive brains may also have created long, noncoding stretches of DNA that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. A study published on … Read more

Researchers confirm the true identities of the preserved brains of mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and physician Conrad Heinrich Fuchs Two brain specimens preserved for more than 150 years and stored in the University Medical Center Göttingen collection — long believed to belong respectively to the celebrated mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and to Göttingen physician and … Read more

Clients who seek professional support from a counselor, coach, or therapist often recognize that something needs to change but are not yet ready to begin the process. Effective professional consultation seeks to understand the client’s challenges and concerns while recognizing that they often already possess many of the resources needed to make change (Miller & … Read more

Summary: After roughly 14,000 years of domestication, dogs show stronger social cognition and people-reading abilities than wolves. Source: Duke University You’ve seen it: you point and say “go find the ball,” and your dog immediately heads to the right spot. That seemingly simple skill—understanding human gestures—is actually a sophisticated cognitive ability and is uncommon across … Read more

Summary: Researchers share clear findings about sleep and correct common misconceptions about sleep problems. Source: Baylor. On average, you will spend roughly one third of your life asleep or trying to fall asleep. For many people, that adds up to more than 25 years spent in bed. Given how much time we devote to sleep, … Read more

Counseling, therapy, and psychology are often misunderstood and carry social stigma. In reality, effective therapy centers on a relationship: developing skills, learning techniques, and reshaping how we see ourselves and the world. Quality counseling reduces distress, strengthens resilience, boosts self-esteem, and improves daily functioning. The more successful the therapeutic process, the clearer it becomes that … Read more

Cannabidiol Reduces Drop Seizures in Lennox‑Gastaut Syndrome — Phase 3 Trial Results Summary: A randomized phase 3 trial published in The Lancet found that adding a pharmaceutical formulation of cannabidiol to existing anti‑epilepsy treatments significantly reduced the frequency of drop seizures in people with treatment‑resistant Lennox‑Gastaut syndrome. Source: The Lancet. Key finding Treatment with a … Read more

Our strengths are one of our greatest resources in life. We can hide them out of fear or we can notice, develop, and apply them for our own good and the benefit of others (Jones-Smith, 2014). When we use our signature strengths we feel most like ourselves: energized, engaged, and deeply satisfied by what we … Read more

Potential target for treating autism, schizophrenia, and other brain disorders Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified the small hippocampal subregion CA2 as essential for social memory—the ability of an animal to recognize and remember another of its species. Understanding CA2’s role may help explain altered social behaviors seen in conditions such as … Read more